‘Someone is going to die’ - the chilling words of ‘axeman’

Police at the scene as they search for a man reported to be walking around Pemberton with an axe

Greg Farrimond and James Illingworth

Published:09:45Tuesday 02 February 2016

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LOCAL residents have described the terrifying moment a man was seen swinging what was believed to have been an axe on a Wigan street yesterday.

Police were called to Enfield Street in Pemberton, close to its junction with Ormskirk Road, at 8.47am on Monday after a man was seen hitting traffic bollards with the object.

Police at the scene

A GMP spokesman later told how a number of 999 calls were made from “distressed” members of the public.

Armed officers dashed to Enfield Street with police dogs and began a manhunt for the suspect, who was said to be wearing a “colourful, stripy hat”.

Nearby Highfield St Matthews primary school was put on lockdown with parents told that the school was “operating normally” despite the incident.

They sent a text out to parents saying: “After an incident on Enfield Street this am, we ensured a lockdown of school as a safety measure. Police have now resolved the situation. School operating normally.”

Wondered what all the police were about, my five-year-old grandaughter’s school in lockdown, unbelievable and scary, we’re in Wigan not America

Patricia Sloan

At this point, the search was still ongoing and police moved to nearby Howard Street where a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray.

Officers were seen storming a property via the fire escape before detaining him.

A police spokesman said: “We were called just before 8.50am to reports of a man with an an axe near Lidl supermarket on the junction of Enfield Street.

“He was seen hitting objects but there are no reports of anyone being injured although a number of people who called us were quite distressed.”

Local residents described the scene as “mayhem” with police sealing off Enfield Street as they carried out their inquiries.

One, who asked not to be named, told the Evening Post: “I didn’t see the man but soon heard about what had happened.

“I just saw loads of police cars turning up and closing off the street; it was mayhem.